Jill's World of Research, Reaction, and Millinery

Highs and Lows

2009-12-03T11:21:00.005-07:00

I haven't written about my brother-in-law Mark for a while. We were told he had but two months left to live...that was back in September. Mark decided at that time to try one more round of chemotherapy and radiation, but it was to no avail.

This morning hospice has finally been contacted.

Bernie's mom Barbara is up in Fresno with Mark and his wife Kathie. Mark is in the hospital as there was surgery performed to remove a tumor that had developed on his arm. Two weeks ago the tumor was the size of a pea; when it was removed on Tuesday it had grown to the size of a small lemon.

We learned that Mark had cancer early last February. Despite undergoing surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation the aggressive cancer has nevertheless grown and spread.

Today Mark and the family will need to decide whether to discontinue feedings, and thereby expect him to live but two more weeks, or to continue feeding him, which in turn will also mean feeding the rapidly growing cancer that has likely invaded his stomach...resulting in more pain, but also more time here on earth.

Mark has said he is not ready to die quite yet so the decision is very difficult.

Today is Barbara's 57 wedding anniversary. Bernie's Dad at home in San Diego today, so not only are Barbara and Hal apart on this anniversary, Barbara is meeting with hospice to set in place the final plans for her youngest son's life.

I can't imagine a worse way to celebrate an anniversary.

Bernie and I will be in San Diego this weekend helping Laura with some repairs on her new home. We'll play with her kittens, see Hal and my folks, and experience highs and lows of joy and sadness together.

Please pray for Mark and the family. Mark usually was one to arrive late to family celebrations such as Christmas. I'm wondering if this year he will simply arrive at the eternal Christmas celebration early.

It will be a wonderful thing to think that someday in heaven he will be the one who got there early, and will be the one who is saying to us

"You finally made it!"

instead of the other way around.

Peeks at the Christmas Ranch House

2009-12-02T08:16:00.007-07:00

Wouldn't it be nice to curl up under the Christmas quilt on the sofa out on the deck....

...and sip a cup of hot chocolate with whipping cream AND a strawberry flavored marshmallow Santa...

And consider all the reason there are for rejoicing in this Advent season

We could linger over breakfast in the kitchen, and watch the chickadees and towhees flitting through the tree outside.

(Now why those silly birds were so shy when Dad was here I just can not understand!)

Then off to work...reluctantly, but thankful to have a job, praying for all those who are jobless now...

When the work day ends, the Christmas lights in the neighborhood are ablaze with cheer.

It is a blessing to live in a cheerful, friendly and safe neighborhood.

The lights on either side of the garage shine a welcome home.

(The mauve pink mortar looks especially whimsical between the bricks behind the bright red bow. I must remember to track down the house with the blue bricks and mortar...to see how it looks all trimmed up!)

Time to share our days adventures. The tea pot is filled with hot mulled wine...and the small cups are the perfect size for the warming treat.

(Thanks Mom for making the tiny mugs and a tea pot to match!)

The star quilted plate was made by me long ago when small children littered my life.

How ever did I find the time to make things like that back then???

An evening on the couch relaxing...with the Christmas frog who croaks out Christmas songs whenever his foot is squeezed. His carols still makes me laugh!

(New ditsy print pillows from IK-you-know-where-EA for the season...replacing the orange accent pillows and throws with red was a fast and inexpensive bit of fun!)

The fireplace is put to good use...and white box of Christmas trivia questions is used for a friendly game after dinner.

The autumn colored fireplace glass has been switched to a Christmas-y mix for the season.

Outside through the sheer curtains the Christmas lights glow.

A slice of Dad's fruitcake (a yearly gift) for dessert, and then it is off to bed.

(More peeks to come in future posts!)

(Re) Cycling through the Season

2009-11-30T12:40:00.001-07:00

I love autumn; love the leaves changing color all about, love the orange pumpkins, crunchy leaves...

Fall corn and candle scents....

And a time of Thankfulness.

The chilly evening twilight with lamp posts lighting the neighborhood...

I love it all.

I wish the autumn season could last a little while longer.

But...there is snow on the ground and Christmas lights up all around us.

Time to get busy (re) cycling the seasonal trimmings.

Orange pumpkins: Still in great shape.

A can of spray paint....

Some greenery to replace the leaves...

A wreath, and door mat with a cozy snow themed welcome to our home....Ta DAh!

Suddenly...(sing along with me)

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

(A spritz of oil rubbed bronze paint was used to add some shading...I might paint the stems gold or green later.)

I never carve pumpkins at Halloween; I want their bright colors to last to decorating the steps and shelves throughout my home all the way until Thanksgiving...and sometimes even longer.

After all...the first day of winter isn't until Dec. 23!

The first time I tried this paint stunt I had several massive pumpkins on our front porch in Dallas. It seemed a shame to just chuck them out.

So I bought cans of silver and gold and metallic plum spray paint and gave them each a good coating.

Then I added fir tree limbs about them.

People thought I had purchased huge outside Christmas ornaments until I mentioned what they actually were.

There are two upside to this trick:

1. I get my money's worth out of the pumpkins for two seasons

2. I don't have to take up space storing the decorations the rest of the year!

I started decorating my new house the day after Thanksgiving; the decorating is now 98% complete. Tonight I'll finish up. It is interesting how all the things I own seemed to find a place in this new place, and how much I am enjoying the decorating process after two years of no Christmas decorating to speak of!

And now that it is done, I plan to enjoy this Christmas with reading and baking, letter writing, special events and visitors.

I'll be posting more season changing "Before and Afters" pictures soon!

Like I said...it is still Autumn..and Advent is here too!

Mom and Dad's Visit Wrap-up

2009-11-29T18:00:00.006-07:00

Yes...it was a grand visit...and it included celebrating Dad's 86th birthday.

Still doing great!

Rachel and Jeff had all of us over for a lamb dinner, one of Dad's favorite dishes.

Rachel is such a good cook.

Rachel bustled about the kitchen cooking in perfect control and confidence for about an hour.

It was so funny-- the kitchen could be viewed from the living room where Dad was seated.

After about a half hour my dad commented how amazed he was at all that went into making the meal.

All us ladies were amazed that he was amazed...then we realized that Dad had never been in a situation where he had a front row seat to watch what goes on in a kitchen.

Oh yeah...it ain't just magic that makes a meal happen!

Since Rachel and Jeff had everything under control in the kitchen, I enjoyed cuddling my oldest grandkitten Meowsie.

Poor old guy...having a new baby in the house after being an only cat for ten years has been quite an upset.

Mom cuddled the baby kitten Cheeto....

Dad opened gifts....

And Cheeto got to help with unwrapping as needed.

The bows were made from recycled ribbons.

We feel pretty strongly about trying to find multiple ways to use any item.

For example...Cheeto also serves fashionably as a fur collar on occasion.

Well, all too soon the visit drew to a close. We squeezed in quite a few adventures...a trip to the aviary, lunch at the hippy restaurant, a peek at the Cathedral, massages and facials, a tour of Bernie's company.

(Apparently other people were into squeezing things in as well.)

Thanks for coming Mom and Dad!

Come again any time!

Mom and Dad's Visit: Day Three

2009-11-26T19:50:00.009-07:00

The weather? Perfect.

Late autumn colors....

Cat tails wisping away...

Branches shed of leaves reveal their own beauty.

Secret places revealed amongst the ember red rose hip.

The nest still looks quite cozy inside.

Markers of red..the remain of fragrant summer roses long since spent.

Deep river water tracks through the land, adding soft sound to the scenery.

Cat tail meadows...

Surround frozen ponds.

Red barns bright against the hillside.

Red...

Golds...

In the cold, nature draws my eye...

While family warms my heart. To walk with my Mom and see bird's nest and share the colors and textures I see...something I long for often...is a blessing I treasure greatly.

While Bernie fishes...

the scenery becomes the best I have seen in years: My Favorite Men enjoying the outdoors together.

I remember the childhood years when my Dad and I would fish. Dad is past his wader and fly line season now, but still can enjoy seeing another enjoying the sport.

No fish were caught that day, but many memories were taken.

Trophy caliber time, time that rate a memory making record.

Generations Together Makes a House into a Home

2009-11-23T18:11:00.007-07:00

Nothing make a house feel more like home than having family over for dinner.
It takes some doing for that to happen around here...while Jeff and Rachel live but ten minutes to the west of us, my Mom and Dad live eleven hours away by car.

Thank heaven for direct flights that last just under two hours instead!

Mom and Dad arrived last Thursday at 4. I picked them up from the airport, and had just enough time to show them the house and the views before sunset. I got dinner started at 5:30, and Jeff and Rachel came over around 6:30.

Rachel brought a fabulous Key Lime pie that she had made from REAL key limes for dessert.

It was amazing...and the gingersnap crust was a surprising twist on the classic recipe.

They brought a little surprise along too...

Well, after all, how long should my parents have to wait to meet their Great-Grand Kitten Cheeto?
(And boy was Tiggie ever surprised too. He gave Cheeto a good hard stare, then headed downstairs to the office chair, where he sat and thought about what he had seen for the rest of the evening.)

Cheeto made himself right at home. He checked out the "Art"...and played with his Uncle Hart and Uncle Tiggie's toys. So fun to have a baby in the house!

Like many tykes, he just was NOT going to let go of one favorite toy that he found:
"Grandma's Wienie"...a knitted snake filled with catnip.
Great Grandma had made one for each of her grandboy cats, Tiggie and Hart, and one for each of her four Great-grand kittens as well.

(In case you have forgotten...I have four grandkitties...that would be ten year old Meowsie, and six month old Cheeto, and the four month old twins Cessa and Hensley. Try to keep up...I only have four grand kittens, and I'm not going to have sixty some grand kittens or grandkids like some people do around here. Sheesh...)

Cheeto decided that he like the bigger wienie toy that Great Grandma had made for Uncle Tiggie.

(MINE! It's mine! MINE MINE MINE!!!!)

(Proud 6' 2" tall papa Jeffrey and his kits.)

Yes...the grandkittens are growing like crazy.

Meowsie's summer buzz cut is growing back in just in time for winter, and Cheeto's furry tail is getting quite impressive don't you think?

(To be continued....)

Like the veiled cocktail hats...yes?

2009-11-22T21:07:00.001-07:00

I do like the saucy lace veiling cocktail hats.

Perhaps additional veiling elsewhere would be appropriate too.
Say, like maybe...slips?

(Picture from an advertisment for "holiday" frocks. What a crock...I'd be freezing to death if I wore one of those outfits to a holiday event!)

Field Trip to Utah's Capitol Continues...

2009-11-16T08:10:00.018-07:00

OK everyone...finish up your snacks, and let's continue on our field trip.

Isn't that a great lamp lighting the way up the staircase on the opposite side of the building that we explored yesterday?

So very pre-WWI.

The state symbol of Utah is the beehive...the motto is Industry.

The early pioneers believed in working like busy bees!

At the top of the stairs is an office window with the same motif.

I suspect it may be a modern window though.

The office belongs to...the Governor of Utah.

This door was locked.

I know because I did try the door handle.

I don't know what I would have done if the door had opened and I was suddenly faced to face with the Governor himself!

Around the corner was another open door....

A very formal room with antiques galore! Above: The view to the left...

The brocade on the walls...

Painted ceiling above...

And the view to the left. Each side matched/mirrored the other.

I'd love to know what people have been entertained here over the years.

The gold leaf and painting details were amazing.

Imagine applying delicate gold leaf to the carving.

The drapery...old, velvet, embroidery, with tassels and trims from long ago, yet apparently has had good conservation techniques over the years.

A trip down the stairs, and down another flight and we can see displays detailing the work that has been done on the Capitol building during the renovation. To think that all that fine detail work was previously simply painted over...oh my....what a project it must have been to restore the building to its former glory.

The building had these Seismic Base Isolator installed while it was under scaffolding. The Wasatch Mountains snake along a major fault line...better to spend the money preparing the building to withstand a huge shake instead of trying fix it after it was reduced to rubble.

A relief map of the area; the smudgy area below the Great Lake is Salt Lake City.

The red-brown line heading over the mountains to Park City snugs up to the mountain edge right where we live.

In the next display we can see pictures of all the Utah Governors. Handsome men...but perhaps more interesting was comparing changes in formal business suits over the years. Differences in lapels, collars, ties...each would have been the "state of the art" attire at the time of the photographs.

Another handsome Governor. Nice art work too.

There is so much to learn about Utah on this floor. Utah has always had theater events, even when it was just a small settlement of pioneers in the 1860's. Now there are symphonies, choirs, dance troops, several theater companies, outside art and art museums to enjoy.

Well, since all of you have done so well behaving yourself on this field trip, you can now visit the gift shop.

You can buy some salt from the Great Salt Lake...

Or a funny post card....

Or perhaps find a charm to add to your charm bracelet.

There will be a test later about all the architectural items that we saw.

You will be expected to be able to spell each term correctly and to describe what each term means.

On our way out...one of the larger than life sized recently commissioned sculptures at the base of the dome.

Pop quiz: Why would the door push handle have a bee hive on it?

There will be a test on the history of this building. Refer to this plaque for study notes.

Note that from ground breaking to building completion took just over two years...less time than than it took to renovate the whole building!

Outside the blue skies and flowers surround a rather mystical statue telling the story of Utah.

Linger for few minutes, enjoy the sunshine and landscaping...and then my field trip is over.

All that is left to do is drive down the tree shaded streets and return to my work once again.

Field Trip!!! Utah State Capitol

2009-11-16T08:03:00.025-07:00

Utah's State Capitol, which has been under scaffolding for several years while being retrofitted with earthquake safety engineering, is now brilliantly welcoming all visitors.

Every day I drive up State Street on my way to work, a street that ends at the Capitol building. Every day since the scaffolding came off I have thought I should go for a "look-see".

A slow day at work...a long lunch break...and just like that...my "should go" finally happened.

It was a sunny day a few weeks ago...perfect for a walk around the grounds. The sky couldn't have possibly been bluer.

The western mountain range in the distance with a name that I can never spell without looking it up... Oquirrh which means "Shining Mountains" in the Paiute Indian language.

And to the East, the Wasatch Range, which means "Mountains with Many Waters".

The two ranges are the only two mountain ranges in North America that run East to west instead of North to South.

We live at the base of the Wasatch mountains, about at the right edge of the picture above.

I do so appreciate buildings that will tell you exactly when they were build!

Cool light fixtures festoon the exterior walls.

One of several doors into the building. I really had no idea what I would find inside the building if I opened the door...or if I would even be welcomed inside without an appointment.

Nothing ventured...nothing gained, right?

Oh wow....so that's what it looks like inside the dome!

Soaring three stories up...there are Work Administration Program (WPA) paintings of Utah history on four sides of the dome.

The WPA was a "make work" program instigated by the US government during the Great Depression of the last century.

Looking straight up...

And to the right of the ground floor...a marble staircase leading to... ??????

The view to the left. The statues at the base of the room are larger than life sized and recently commissioned.

The glass overhead with pink, blue and gold trim. I wouldn't have expected that color choice, but it is very fresh and airy.

I later read that the gold leafing was re-done during the renovation.

To give you a sense of scale...the balcony railing is about chest high.

The old-timey elevator could have been an interesting ride...but I was in the mood to climb stairs.

The marble stairs with gold edging.

Up on the second floor I can see the historical paintings up close,

And amazingly to me, I can wander about at will.

NO ONE was to be seen anywhere. I opened one door and found myself looking down at the Utah House Chamber where legislation is decided. There are two groups of elected officials that govern the state, the Representatives and the Senate. I'd love to go there when they are in session.

Windows above the gallery, where the public can sit in and observe government in action below.

Very stately gallery seating don't you think?

Sweet little faces grace the carved pillars.

Back into the main area outside the chamber are many offices for various department heads.

Their doors still have the old fashioned break proof glass with wire embedded in the glass.

The snow flake like design is much prettier than most modern shatter proof glass in my opinon...

The decks or galleries around the edge of each floor level has recently been designated for artwork. Emmeline Wells was an interesting woman: a strong advocate of polygamy (after becoming a widow at an early age, she then married a Mr. Wells, becoming his seventh wife) and also a champion for women's suffrage. She was key in obtaining women's voting rights in Utah in 1870, prior to Utah obtaining statehood.

It wasn't until 1890 that Wyoming became the first state to give women the right to vote, swiftly followed by Utah, Colorado and Idah.

Progressive little area of the country, eh?

Just pretty details...and so well restored!

More dome painting views from the second floor.

I was amazed at all the detail work everywhere!

I liked the ballroom scene in the one painting.

This painting of a sweet subject: The husband is gazing at his wife holding a new babe inside the covered wagon. I've read that something like 75% of all women pioneers were pregnant during their cross country journey.

A-maz-ing.

And that a good portion of those women were pregnant when they began the journey.

Women were sure a lot tougher back then.

You will never guess who this guy is. I had no idea...yet I can't imagine life without what he made possible! I'll bet you regularly use his invention too, and never gave a though about the name of the person who made it possible.

Yes...the next time you click on your TV...thank Mr. Farnsworth, a man who was born long ago in a log cabin in a small town in Utah.

Pretty view, huh?

Time to take a break on our field trip.

Everyone open up your lunch boxes and find a place to eat quietly.

To be continued.....

Oh sure...I'll remember all that!

2009-11-13T01:48:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been at a place that has an Emergency Procedures Manual?

Just about every place I have worked since the 1990's has had one.

In light of the Ft. Hood shooting, I thought it would be interesting to share the instructions from one work place concerning:

Violent Criminal Behavior

(Please note that I did not write this particular list...although I have written lists for a couple of libraries that had a lot better instructions than this one!)

If you see or know that a person has a firearm, hear shots fired or witness an armed person shooting people, you should protect yourself first.

You should immediately move to a safe location and take the following steps:.

1) Conceal yourself and others within a room if it is not safe to evacuate. You should enter and stay in an office, classroom, bathroom, or closet.

(We librarians have always discussed what we planned on doing if we had a shooter in the library work area, after noting how many shooters seem to wind up in libraries. We librarians agreed that if we were out on the library floor or reference desk we would all charge a shooter...throwing waste cans, books or anything else we could heave as we ran. We figured as middle aged librarians we could probably scare a guy long enough for a few younger and stronger types to tackle the shooter. We also agreed that NO WAY would we just sit back and let someone shoot up a bunch of students while we awaited security's arrival.)

2) Close the door and lock the door if it is safe to do so. During violent crimes in progress, entering the hall to lock the door would be unsafe.

3) Leave no external indication that you are in the room. (tuck away coats, purse, coffee cup, shut down websites on computer screen, turn off lamps. Oh sure...I could do all that in a flash!)

4) Dial 911 to give your location, the number of people present, injuries, etc.

(Let's see...do I need to dial a "9" first to an outside number, or will just 911 work? Will I remember my address? How on earth would I have any idea how many people are in the library/facility at any moment?)

5) If the door cannot be locked then you should place heavy objects, from within the room, against the door as a barricade.

(I'm supposed to do this while concealed?)

6) Turn off the lights.

(Again, while concealed?)

7) If there are windows with window coverings then you should close them.

(Don't you just know that the blind cord will jam this time for sure...)

8) If glass is present in the door it should also be covered.

(Covered with what? Scotch tape paper up? Any ideas??? Ideas that can be done while hands are shaking like mad?)

9) Move to a floor level position furthest from door.

10) Get under a desk or table if possible.

(Another reason to watch my weight to make sure all of me could fit under my desk.)

11) Silence cell phones.

(Oops...must dig out cell phone in the dark now...set it to vibrate? Should I text message someone? And if so...who?)

12) Do not go near or open the door until instructed to do so by police or firemen.

(this could take awhile...regular potty breaks should be taken so in an emergency situation one could cower under a desk for up to three hours without a continence issue. Of course if someone is shooting up the place, wet pants might just be the least of your problems.)

Seriously...I have written security procedures for several companies in the past. The one thing that we always had going at most public libraries was the presence of an armed guard. We also had concealed alarm switches in a couple of places.

The public libraries were cool like that.

One oil company's building had unarmed security. A few months following 9/11 a semi-opened package was left in front of the company's library doors, in a hallway.
I called the security department. A young guy showed up. I showed him the box, and he decided the best course of action was

(...are you ready for this???)

to kick it.

Yup, kicked that box like it was a soccer ball during a playoff game.

I about came unglued. If that box had held a bomb, and it had gone off, the whole floor could have been blown up.

In Academic libraries there were security guards that did sweeps at closing time to make sure everyone were out of the building. They would also come by if you call them...in anywhere from 5-15 minutes.

Our burliest staff guy was usually drafted to speak to any questionable people with a request that they leave the area. No extra pay was involved in that "other duties as assigned" part of his job description.

Those are just a few examples of how various places have handled the idea of a shooter in the past. I've learned that most larger churches in America now have plain clothed security guards with guns, and the police have floor plans of the church buildings on file. Interesting, no?

Here in Utah we have a thing called Concealed Weapon Permits. By paying a small fee, and attending a class, and undergoing some background checking, a person can be licensed to carry a weapon in public legally.

I have to admit...that fact makes me feel a little safer here in SLC. If some shooter decides to fire at folks in a public place, there is a pretty good chance that someone is going to return fire before the shooter has a chance to re-load.

I'd like to think that a dedicated Licensed Concealed Weapon Carrier regularly visits a shooting range, and will be able to wing, (rather than kill) a shooter seriously enough to stop the shooting quickly.

In fact, with that option in mind, this is what I really would like to see the Violent Criminal Behaviour policies to read as follows:

1. If you see or know that a person has a firearm illegally, hear shots fired or witness an armed person shooting people, you should protect yourself first.

2. Pull out your weapon and shoot at the criminal shooter. Continue shooting until the shooter is hit, and you are sure the criminal shooter is down.

3. Get the criminal's weapon away from the criminal.

4. Call 911.

5. Give interview to the newspaper.

6. Get back to work.

I've never liked having to remember more than six steps to do anything anyway.

The original Twelve Steps Guide that was issued?

You've got to be kidding me!

Veteran's Day: Boys from Utah Then and Now

2009-11-11T08:44:00.009-07:00

They went off to the war to end all wars...two brothers from Utah, long ago.

(My grandfather Matthew Stein, seated in picture above with his brother Conrad.)

They shipped out from Salt Lake City; left behind seven siblings and a mother and father...most of whom were German born.

(My grandfather, standing in middle.)

His father Ludwig Jr. as a young man, (born 1862) is the first man standing on the right.

His grandfather Ludwig Sr. (born 1826) and grandmother Margarthe (born 1830)...in a picture taken in Germany.

Germans...through and through.

Did it matter that Matthew's family was German, that they spoke German, and often lived in Germany, although Matthew was Utah born?

When the time came, he and his brother signed up in the US Army, and found themselves fighting in Europe.

My grandfather took a pipe with him, and carefully carved the name of each place that he served.

Camp Kearney in San Diego...a place he would later make his home.

Liverpool...Southampton, Havre, Scotian,

Camp Mills, Poitier, Bordeaux...

Camp de Souce

I wish I could have him here today to ask him about all the places he served.

What it was like to fight against "his people" as an American.

And what it was like to live through the Spanish Influenza that killed more soldiers than fighting ever did.

I'd like to know the memories he held of each place that he carved into his pipe as a souvenir.

We have a few pictures of him taken during his service time...the typical playful photos that soldiers always seem to take.

One day I will pull up his service records, and learn what I can about what he and his brother Conrad saw in the theater of war.

Maybe they chose not to speak of it later because they were just glad to come home.

Grandpa Stein was always a cheerful man with a ready smile.

Years later he took his wife, my grandmother, to Europe on a grand tour of France and Germany.

Apparently he knew Germany at peace as a child, at war as a young man and again in his middle years as more men went off Europe to fight for freedom again...

It must have felt really, really good to go there again and see the sights freely.

Free once again from hostility and war.

Today is his birthday...he would have been 105 years old.

I wonder what he would have thought of the world as it stands today.

Another young man from Utah went to serve in the Army just a little while ago.

He was to come home next month, and had a girl here waiting for him

He had already bought her a ring...they were nineteen...he was going to propose at Christmas time.

Instead of reunion this Christmas and wedding plans to be made...

the family will mourn.

The bride to be will grieve.

All because of a moment at Ft. Hood when a man shot his fellow soldiers, angry that he was soon to be sent to fight against "his people" (not with a gun mind you...but to support those who would do the fighting...)

Yes...I wonder what the Utah boy with German parents and siblings who fought against those of his own lineage would have had to say about this.

Warm and Fuzzy...

2009-11-09T15:07:00.008-07:00

I was polishing up my kitchen appliances the other night.
They are all stainless steel, and less than eight months old.
They may be stainless...but I'm discovering that they are not scratch less.
I've discovered all the horizontal handles (oven, dishwasher) now have slight scratches just left of center.
Why?
Because I am a married lady and I wear a ring (most days...) on the third finger of my left hand.

Grrrr.....

Thankfully a bit of buffing and all was OK again.
But it made me think.

While I lived in Houston I acquired a felted ring. At the time I got it because it just made me laugh. A fabric ring! Imagine that!
The ring is comfortable, soft, colorful, and feels especially good when I rest my head on my hand, or am holding hands in cold weather.

In fact, wearing that ring to work yesterday gave me that "comfy sweater and slippers on a Saturday morning" kind of feeling all over. Funny how something so small on my finger could create good tactile memories all over me.

I realized that kind of feeling, especially on a Monday workdays needs to be accessed more often.
So...
I went (virtual) shopping.
You can shop along with me by clicking on the words in brown below each picture!

Definitely getting this modern art piece...it is ordered and on the way!

Thinking about the flowers. If the roses could come in a variety of colors, they could work as mood rings too...wearing a yellow rose could signal one mood, an orange rose another mood...

I like the Calamari-like simple rings. They are a total bargain too!

I'm drawn to the elegant mixtures of sea sponge, pearls and wool.
(I'm getting that one too...)
The crafter/artist has made a series of sea inspired rings.

It cracked me up to think wearing a finger pumpkin.
Little kids would be fascinated.
Adult kids would be fascinated...
What a conversation starter!

I would like this one too... maybe Santa will get it for me!

A long tube would keep my ring finger extra snuggy warm.

This one...in my favorite orange and green combo...think I might have to have this one.
Peas and carrots!

Roar!!!!

(or yawn...depending on your mood.)

I'd never get any work done wearing this ring...it is just too cute! Isn't it amazing what can be done with a bit of wool roving?

Yes, they hold up just fine to average wear and tear.

Yes, I wash my hands with my felted ring on sometimes by mistake...the wool repels water.

Yes, they make me smile.

Yes, they are all available on Etsy

And yes I want to learn how to make them.

Like take a class with friends? I've read how they are made...not too hard at all really.

Yes, it would be a lot more fun to be making the rings with friends.

Guess I'll now have to get busy finding a class.

Or maybe even learn how to teach it.

(PS: Two people on my sidebar are involved in this craft: Glorious Hats makes wonderful felted items, and Hat Diva sells wool roving for spinning and felting. Check them out too!)

Room in the heart...if not the brain

2009-11-09T10:26:00.005-07:00

(I have just four grands so far...grandkitties...above are Cessa and Hensley. I get videos of them almost daily!)

We just read the obituary of daughter of one of the former Presidents of Brigham Young University (the LSD ground zero shall we say...)

The dear woman had 14 children...

86 grandchildren....

144 great grandchildren (to date..)

All I could think of was "Wow, she must get up early every morning, start the coffee and get busy making another birthday cake."

Then I realized she wouldn't have been one to drink coffee as a Mormon.

Maybe that gave her more time to bake cakes.

If each of her kids married...that would be 28 "kids" plus she and her husband...so 30 b-days a year just in the immediate family.

The grandkids must have married to make great grands...so that would be 176 people

Plus 144 more from great grands, assuming they were all too young to marry.

340 birthdays a year. That's a lot of cake and candles to deal with!

My favorite line in the obituary: The laundry was always done, and there was always a nutritious hot meal on the table. Mom even made most of her children's clothing.

Keeping the laundry "done" for just the two of us stumps me sometimes...having it "done" for sixteen people? I'm in total awe.

(The SLC obits are often amusing/interesting. Recently one woman was memorialized with the phrase "She loved to iron." Another woman received "She was greatly loved inspite of herself"

while another said "She was greatly affected by the human condition". I had to wonder if she had a choice there...being human and all...)

Around here it is pretty typical for a woman to have 20+ grandkids. Women my age usually have ten or eleven or so. Holidays are a big deal...the "family" comes home for the holidays and Christmas dinner for forty or fifty seems pretty standard. Women don't downsize when the kids leave home...they shop for bigger homes to house the growing family over the holidays!

The other day I eavesdropped on a woman surrounded by three younger women. They were examining three part buffet warming servers. It was really cute to see them discuss the pros and cons and then excitedly decide which was was going to be just right for the holiday meal.

I should have hung around to see how many they bought ;-)

One buffet server surely wouldn't have been enough.

What really makes me laugh is listening to the older men. They usually will admit that after the first thirty grandkids were born, that they pretty much lost count. (One old guy's obiturary noted that he had "over thirty grandchildren". Another one noted that there were a certain number of great grands and "two more in the oven".)

A lot of the old guys aren't really sure how many grandkids they have.

They will tell you that they can't remember all their names...

And the great grands?

Um...yes...they have some. The oldest is...um....twelve...or maybe nine...and there were two more born last month...

Birthday parties?

Yeah. Lots and lots of birthday parties.

And then they change the subject to golf.

Wanship-Then and Now

2009-11-07T19:05:00.003-07:00

When it is sunny and warm at the end of the first week of November you gotta go fly fishing.
Or at least you do if you are Bernie.
He asked me if I wanted to come along....
He didn't need to ask twice!

This time he wanted to fish the Weber river which ran through a small town known as Wanship.
(Click on the picture to read a short review of Wanship history.)
I was quite pleased that the historical marker was near where we parked our car.
While Bernie got his fishing gear out, I walked over to it to read.
Moments later I was both impressed and annoyed.

Impressed to think that this little bit of Utah at one time supported at least three full time milliners.

Annoyed that today in Wanship there is nary a single millinery shop to be had.
Wanship: What happened???

Sigh.

It seems I was just born too late for easy access to millinery shopping.

Wanship is a very pretty little valley. I could easily imagine the Tipi Indians roaming the hills...and women in lovely bonnets driving buggies on outings to church and the general stores.

Now all I see are fishermen and cattle.
There were also sheep, llamas, horses, and goats being raised nearby.

(No emus though. Maybe that is why hat making fell by the wayside. You need a good source of feathers if you want to trim fine hats.)

The Weber River usually has plenty of fish, but today all that was caught was glimpse of beautiful late fall scenery.

The grasses were rustling in the breezes, and I amused myself by studying all the colors of windswept grasses.

Blue grays, golden yellows, pale golds, sage greens...I sketched scenes in my mind while the fish were busy skunking Bernie.

Such a cute little general store!

No hats though.

Not a single one.

Wanship: Get a clue...check your heritage.

Remember: Everyone looks better in a hat!

Chills

2009-11-06T10:27:00.006-07:00

Yesterday I was listening to the radio at work when the news of the Ft. Hood shootings was first reported.

I broke out in chills. I had flashbacks to the bombing of the USS Cole...an event that had me on the floor weeping at the flaccid response of our country. 9-11 did not hit me nearly as hard...the USS Cole was beginning of it all for me...a door opened and after that nothing really shocked me any more.

Shortly afterwards I headed home. It was impossible to focus on work knowing what was happening at Ft. Hood. While it was a warmish 70 degrees out, I found myself climbing under an electric blanket as I tuned into the news, hoping against hope that somehow it wasn't going to be as bad as it looked.

My former Texas Representative Kay Bailey Hutchinson was being interviewed for information by Fox News. When asked about the identity of the gunman, she declared she knew the name but was not officially cleared to release it.

The other networks had already released the name...and it was clearly a Middle Eastern surname.

Bailey remarked that the name was disturbing, a statement echoed by the Fox reporter. For a moment I was proud of Fox's sensitivity to the situation. The name was disturbing on many levels: I could imagine Americans becoming angry at Muslims. I could imagine Muslims fearing for their own well being in repercussion to the unfolding events.

Troubling thoughts indeed. It was well worth waiting until the facts could be well vetted lest there be a factual error.

More than one official agency has warned that it would not be too long before America would begin to experience what other countries have experienced already: Muslim terrorists acting out randomly, taking lives at will. Indeed, it is rather surprising that we haven't had an explosion in a crowded space as of yet.

Did this event mark the beginning of this foreshadowed future? I hope not. Yet...yet...as news continues to trickle out, it looks less and less to be an act of a troubled soldier and more and more like the deliberate act of terror.

I've heard remarks that in WWII, America did not send Japanese to fight in the Pacific war theater, and that America should refrain from sending people of middle eastern heritage to "fight against their own" in our current conflicts.

Excuse me..."their own" upon taking an oath of citizenship and becoming part of America's military means that "their own" is by definition no longer anyone but America and their military allies.

My family has personal experience with this. My maternal grandfather was born here in Salt Lake City to German immigrant parents, with German born siblings both younger and older than he was.

When World War I broke out, my grandfather and his American born sibling signed up to fight. They were sent to Europe and ultimately into the German front. People at home made comments about my grandfather's family...their German last name was looked down upon due to the German attack on our military.

It didn't take long for those comments to be rebuked: Sons of "those Germans" were now actively fighting FOR America IN Germany, where, incidentally, the boys had spent part of their childhood.

Knowing this bit of family history steels my spine against anyone who would suggest that a volunteer solider of any particular background or religion is entitled to take issue with their duties. It should go without saying that shooting up your fellow soldiers because of your familial heritage or religion is beyond the pale.

But apparently it isn't, and doesn't go without saying as I am already hearing murmurs that the shooter's actions were somewhat justified on those grounds.

Islam is a religion of peace we are told over and over again...even from the White House.
It is time, indeed long past time that people around the world should no longer find themselves embroiled in deadly conflicts begun at the hands of Islamics.

Is there any other religion actively blowing up people for their faith?

No.

Personally I am also deeply disturbed by Mr. Obama's jovial news op wherein he pointed out an American Indian in the audience with a "shout out", and a misspoken identification of the Indian as a recipient of our highest Military honor.

Holy Cow. What a moment to confuse our highest military metal of honor for a civilian honor. Ouch, ouch, ouch....if anyone should know the difference it should be our "Commander in Chief".

Two minutes of congenial self congratulatory shit-chat (oops...I meant to type "chit-chat"...that previous vulgarity was a typo but I am going to let it stand just this once.....) and then Mr. Obama finally got around to expressing his deep concerns about the victims and their families at Ft. Hood.

The US Senate immediately observed a moment of silence in honor of our slain soldiers.
I wonder if Mr. Obama did likewise.
I doubt it.

So here we are, and here I am...wondering what comes next. Our unemployment numbers have risen again, a local man was one of the soldiers killed at Ft. Hood, another local man was one of those wounded.

There has been winds here strong enough to blow over our heavy barbeque grill in the back yard. The fall colors continue to blaze in the sunshine, and the wind kicked dust is making my sinuses uncomfortable. Winds of change...both metaphorically and seasonal blow around me.

I've got a lot to think about as I do my usual Friday tasks inside my home...cleaning and getting ready for a weekend of Indian Summer warmth.

And I'll wonder what else I should get ready for, outside my home, in the world that seems somehow more chilling than it used to.

Confessions of a Goth Wannabe Middle Aged Woman

2009-11-04T12:08:00.005-07:00

I snitched a Hershey's kiss from the desk of a co-worker this morning, and found myself filling her in about my millinery instructor Kate's Hershey Kiss inspired cocktail hat.

I do so miss the whimsical nature of cocktail hats and the women who are witty enough to wear them.

Needing to sooth my longing, I returned to my desk and clicked over to Google Images.

I put in the words "Cocktail Hat" and soon I was feeling much better again after seeing the above hat offered at this etsy site.

Now I am longing to see a winter bride who has such style as to wear that hat with a velvet gown at Christmas time.

That shell pink and green combo was what I had imagined for my own Christmas wedding years ago...such a combination just wasn't to be found for bridesmaid attire, and the bridal party just wasn't up for having dresses custom made.

Oh well. At least I can enjoy the colors in my mind ...and picture myself in this hat instead of the 70's style veil.

As the Etsy site noted, this hat is called "The Holly - Victorian Bridal Top Hat - As Seen in Gothic Beauty Magazine 28"

Oh oh.
Lately I have been noticing that I have been finding myself secretly loving Goth looks.

I have developed a *serious* girl crush on Abby on NCIS for instance. I just love her...her work...her style...the way she never gives up, and is so totally herself and "herself" is loved by one and all. And that she and the actress who plays her are from New Orleans .

NCIS is now the #1 television show in America. My daughter is hooked, my BGFF Gail is hooked...just about everyone with a heart beat is hooked on the show. It is a triple threat show for me: My first teen crush was David McCallum, who played the Russian Illya Kuryakin on the show The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

(I'm smiling even as I type this, thinking back to how he looked back then...)
McCallum is also on NCIS...and dang, I still get that goofy butterfly feeling when he is on screen.

(Maybe his hat has something to do with creating those feelings again...and his bow tie, and his Scottish accent....)

Then there is Mark Harmon. Married to the actress who played "Mindy" in the TV show "Mork and Mindy", nicely graying Mark has had an amazing life. A glance from his blue eyes would make anyone drop their cup of coffee accidentally, you know what I mean?
I say his eyes rival Paul Newmans.
When asked...several friends admit they would want date the character Tim if they could. Not the Playboy type Tony character...nerdy Tim brings out the nurturing side and a sense that he could be a "forever" kind of guy. Plus he is uber smart while still being humble.

Abby and Tim "hooked up" for a bit. Frankly I was hoping they would get married. Or that she would at least plan a wedding...because I can just see her in this bridal hat:

Abby just seems to be the type of girl who would want a leather bridal hat with her and her beloved's initials don't you think?

OK...I'll try to pull myself together and let you go check out the rest of the AMAZING cocktail hats on Topsyturvydesigns.

And if anyone does get one of these hats for a wedding..let me know.

Please...let me know!

But is it art?

2009-11-03T07:14:00.003-07:00

Modern art is not always understood or appreciated by everyone.
Some say that for them, modern art is an acquired taste.
It is an appreciation that has grown on them over time.

Others say modern art speaks to them immediately in ways that traditional artistic forms do
not.

One of the most modern of art forms is called performance art, where the viewer and the art become merged to create new forms that goes beyond what the artist originally created.

The question "But is it Art?" (as asked by Tiggie) needs no response.

It is art.

It is good to invest in art, as art serves to enrich your environment, your portfolio and yes, even your soul.
We are pleased with our recent artistic acquisition.
And happy to share it with you.
(Even if Hart is refusing to share it with anyone, even if it is orange.)

Looking good and on TV too!

2009-11-02T01:00:00.001-07:00

Bernie is 56 years old today. Wow...did 55 go fast or what? You accomplished so much during that year-putting our new house together, learning to fly fish, going camping and hiking, golfing, church, studying bonsai, cooking...the list goes on and on.

Looking good...and doing good too.

When his company found a way to eliminate the need for printers, Bernie went looking for a way to donate the printers, rather than just throwing them away.

The local news covered the story this weekend.....and you can see it (and him) by clicking here!

I'm so proud of you Bernie!
Your 55th year ended so great!

(Even if the TV station did spell your name wrong!)

Wonder what your next year will hold.
Blessings for sure...and fish.
Lots and lots of fish!

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

What to wear....what to wear....

2009-10-30T07:47:00.002-06:00

Some days it is hard to decide what to wear to work.

Most days it boils down to black, grey or brown slacks, a blouse or sweater, and a scarf or piece of jewelry.

But then on other days.....

The Inner Cowgirl Princess Librarian comes out.
Every day I have a ball...
and sometimes its fun to dress in a ball gown too!

(Happy Memories of my Houston Hat Net days...and buying this gown brand new for only twenty bucks. Can you say swish? Slam Dunk! I bought it so fast it made heads spin. Every girl should have a poofy pink sequined ball gown don't you think?
And if said girl had to wait until she was fifty before she got one...well, the inner little girl was thrilled to be twirling in a cloud of pink tulle at last!)

Decades

2009-10-28T05:01:00.001-06:00

Hart and Missy admire each other's coats amidst the fallen golden leaves...secure in the knowledge that their coat "style" has been "in-style" since the beginning of time.

Sigh.

It must be lovely to be a cat.

On the other hand, the fact that human garment styles keep changing over time has its perks too.

For example: Human clothing can be enjoyed at interesting place such as "Decades".

Vintage (before 1950), Retro (1950-1990s) and Contemporary (the last ten years...) clothing is just plain fun to see. I had been rubbernecking this store front on my way to work (late as always....never time to stop) the past three months. Before that I kept hearing "You ought to go to Decades, you would love it!"

So...on my way home on my short work day last Thursday I made a point of finally going in to the store for a look-see.

I could have spent a couple hours just ogling the vintage costume jewelry...

Deciding which classic diamond broach I liked best....

(FYI: My Dallas based friend Bonita informed me of this little tidbit of good etiquette: if you are wearing a clear colorless jewel, you are wearing a diamond. If the jewel is a genuine diamond, then you say it is a "real" diamond. Thanks to Bonita, I can now say that my diamond jewelry collection is quite extensive!)

And then...swoon...there were the hats!

Hats formed a border all around the shop's ceiling, and there were several large hat displays and hat stands as well.

I had to laugh (and take a picture of course!) at the sign in the mirror over a trunk full of hats!

Obviously this is not a LDS member owned business.

Decades had dresses on display from 1890, 1900, 1920....every decade in fact. I especially was charmed by this dress. Can't you just imagine wearing this dress with your hair in a short gamine hair style, dancing to the music of a band whose members were dressed in tuxedos?

This heavily beaded silk dress is from the 1920's.

Twenty three skiddoo...bring on the spit curls!

Another beautiful silky twenties dress...this one a day dress. Can't you just see this dress breezing long on a shopping jaunt, a little grey tight fitting cloche hat on the head, and cute kid gray shoes, with a french heel and a mary jane strap across the instep?

(The dress was for sale at the unbelievable price of $80. Or at least that was what I was told...)

How about this matching hat and handbag? Can't you see them being worn with a smart fitted leaf green suit and shoes? Think 1950's again. That fabric! I'd love that fabric for drapery too!

(I'm very, very tempted to go back and get this set!)

Hand tooled leather bags galore! Isn't the bag with a leaping deer adorable?

Somebody tell me what one should wear with that tooled deer bag!

Yes...cats certainly do have fantastic timeless wear. No wonder we humans want to borrow their look from time to time. I confess...it was this very coat made me pull over and finally visit the shop. I think the coat is too small for me...I'm not sure...and I'm afraid I would buy it if it would fit!

I took quite a few pictures inside the shop...and only at the end of my visit was I informed that taking pictures was not permitted.

Ooops...my bad...

Pretend you didn't see any of these pictures, OK??? OK!

A Non-Event Event

2009-10-26T18:04:00.008-06:00

We promised ourselves that this year we would catch the Aspen groves in their full golden splendor.

And this year....

Rats! Foiled again by a windy storm while I was in San Diego.

But look closely at the picture above.

See a consolation prize amidst the trees?

When you are driving around looking for fall color and suddenly see a whole bunch of cars parked...hit the brakes and grab your camera!

There he was: A bull moose noshing a late afternoon snack down about 5o feet from the two lane road. Boy oh boy did I wish I had a camera with a better zoom feature! Some folks had flown in from Washington State intent on photographing golden aspen, but as the photographer girl in the early picture pointed out....even though the leaves are spent, seeing a moose is a pretty good too.

As we headed down the mountain, there were still a few lingering golden leaves.

The deer were out-and-about, as were hunters.

This time of year I try to remember to have an orange vest with me at all times just to be safe; and hope that the hunters will not mistake me for a deer instead of a "dear".

Yes...a stretch or two of gold was still to be found.

The white trunks that seem to sway and lean towards one another, with dark eye-like forms against the white bark made me feel like I had entered into some enchanted forest tree gathering.

When you add patches of snow...

Another party seems to be occurring.

Next year...for sure...next year we will visit these scenes and dance through showers of gold.

Next year, God willing, I will not stray from Utah in October, and will drive the Aspen Groves/watch the leaf peeper websites/take off work/camp out/whatever it takes/ so I can once again experience and photograph the aspen.

(I have experienced aspen gold in groves but once, years ago in Colorado Springs while visiting BGF Gail the first week in October, on her birthday. Call me greedy...it was too wonderful of an experience to experience but once. Like bluebonnets and tide pools, snorkeling in tropical waters, and England...I want such an experience again and again.)

Commuting while Communing

2009-10-25T21:59:00.007-06:00

The drive home each weekday evening is usually beautiful here. The mountains are either spring green, autumn speckled, or frosted white with snow.
As I head home the western sunsets reflect upon the eastern peaks, turning them rich and glowing red gold.

And some days I find myself driving through double rainbows too.

With my camera at hand I quickly snap both sides of the rainbow as I drive ...the first picture shows the right hand side of the bow, while the picture above and below captures the left hand side.

Yes...here I have found a glorious place to live.

Some say Utah is America's best kept secret.

Shhh...don't tell anyone that I've told you!

(I had to tell someone...some secrets are just too good not to share!)

Geisha in Training

2009-10-23T10:55:00.003-06:00

It's hard to imagine being a Geisha in training for almost fifty years. Fifty years...in training, learning how to serve and be gracious to others. While she was never called by any other name than "Geisha Girl In Training", she has been part of my life for just that long, and served to train me, and shape me mysteriously as well.

When I was out in San Diego I visited her again...the Geisha in training doll that my father's sister, my Aunt Marcia dressed while her husband was stationed in Japan with the United States Air Force back in the early 1960's.

My Aunt had three children at that point, two sons and a daughter, who was a few years older than me. Aunt Marcia had a chance (and apparently the time and talent...) to take a class on Japanese doll making. She learned how to make the costume for the doll, and carefully dressed her as a geisha in training.

The "in-training" part was signaled by the fact that the tradition back fabric bundle was left undone as in this picture; (and I just learned why rubber flip flop sandals are also called zoris!)

You can see both full fledged geisha and in training costume in this picture (I should have taken a picture of my doll's backside too while I was in San Diego this time) that is, two panels of richly woven brocade fabric trailed stiffly down from the dolls waist to her heels. I would routinely fold the fabric up, imagining how she would look as a full fledged geisha. The black band around her waist was the fabric I would fold, but the soft fine silk of the orange and white check fabric actually held my tactile interest more. That fabric was somehow embossed so each little dot was slightly raised.

My Aunt carried the doll home from Japan in a traditional display case formed of glass and shiny black lacquered wood. The door had a small key embellished with a minuscule tassel. By "carried" the doll home, I was told by my Aunt that the case and the doll had sat on her lap the entire flight from Japan to San Diego. When I think about that fact, I cringe. I can't imagine why she did that for me. As far as I know, she had only met me once or twice before she left for Japan.

Much later, when I visited with her as an adult she shared one detail about her flight over to Japan. She told me she had boarded the plane with her family, heading out to a country she had never known, dressed appropriately for that time, in a suit, heels, hat, nylons and gloves.

She had just begun her period that day; and the sanitary products were inadequate to the task at hand. Upon boarding she retired to the lavatory, where she undressed and washed out all the layers of her clothing-pantie, girdle, slip, skirt, and then re-dressed in the wet garments for the long flight with three young school age children. Naturally that trauma stuck in her mind for many years, and I wonder if she recalled that indignity as she layered the doll with garment after garment, then tied the costume all together with a sash.

Laura now owns the doll, and sadly the carefully carried display case was destroyed by water damage while it was stored when I was in my thirties. Her lovely sheer red silk parasol is also gone now; I only just this moment remembered that she had one, and it was always fully open, riding on her shoulder, exhibiting finely painted cherry blossoms in white, creating a back drop for her sweet white face.

Except those details, a slight shattering of the fine silk, and a tiny bit of fading and dust, the doll looks exactly the same as it did when I received it.

I wonder what inspired my aunt to give the doll to me; she had an identical twin sister who had two daughters that were older, and arguably more suited for caring for such a treasure, as well as a daughter of her own. I was amazed that I was chosen to receive the doll when they returned to America a few years later, staying at our house before trekking to their next military assignment, which I think was in Arlington Texas. Our family visited her there once a few years later. I was stunned at how hot and humid Texas was, and made a mental note to never, ever visit the state ever again. Oh how curious life is...I never imagined I would live deep in the heart of Texas myself later on.

More surprisingly, it turned out that my completely San Diego rooted daughter would be uprooted as well in order to enter nursing school at the college not far from where my Aunt and her family lived, none other than the University of Texas at Arlington.

I also wonder if the doll lit a life long passions within me: a love of the color orange, the fascination with beautiful fabrics and costumes, and the decision that of my three aunts, I liked my Aunt Marcia the best. Later she and her family moved to Oregon; I took a train up to visit her when I was a teen and shortly afterward decided I wanted very much to live in Oregon too. I later fulfilled that decision for at least two years of my life when I moved to Oregon to attend college. Funny how my Aunt seemed to have blazed a trail for future college location decisions!

Geishas are mysterious beings; their white mask like make up, shy demeanor, and wrapped in layer upon layer of bright color fabric that conceal their form, yet announcing to all who would see exactly who they are in their unique world. My doll is still signaling mysteries to me, and reminding me that she and I are in many ways still "in training" to learn how to serve be of service after all these years.

Doing a Seasonal Good Deed

2009-10-21T10:05:00.013-06:00

When outside the kitchen window there is a view like this....

and this...

Yet the china on that table next to the window is pink flowered with mint green edges like this:

Jill is not pleased.

Bernie even admits it just doesn't feel quite right.

However...

Bernie has also "encouraged" not collecting additional china sets, seeing as how I own not only my pink floral set (twelve place settings)...

but also a Christmas set, with eight place settings (above)

and a set of Lenox with a fuchsia rose in the center (for a dozen people!)
There is only so much space one can give over to china sets!

Enter a bright idea, and a fifteen minute break at work.

A quick trip to the thrift shop, and six dollars later....

I now own six "new" plates appropriate for the fall season!

Three plates are this design above, which Bernie likes best.

I also got three of this pattern.

Because mix and matched dishes are more fun anyway.
I already had the painted wood napkin rings..they were wedding presents from almost 33 years ago!

But wait! There is more!

My Christmas dishes included a stripped edge charger size plates and bowls.

Look how perfectly they mix with the "new" plates.

The charger works great with the other pattern as well.

But if I really want to go swanky, I can use my gold chargers to give the table more glitz. I have a gold toned flat wear set as well that will work nicely at Thanksgiving dinner.

I was only planning on getting two plates...one for each of us...but then I remembered my son and his wife *might* sometime come for dinner.

And that perhaps sometime her parents *might* come out for Thanksgiving as well. In any case, for a total of six bucks, I decided I could afford to be prepared.

Storing six plates won't be any big deal either. I just won't plan on serving coffee with the meal; it is always the cups and saucers that take up all the space when storing dish sets.

Love that pattern!

There are no chips, no scratches and both patterns are dishwasher and microwave safe. The plates are brand new. I wonder why they were given away.

In the future I plan to aquire special day dishes more often, but generally I'll be getting just two plates at a time; one for me and one for Bernie.

How fun it will be to be able to set a new table on a whim for only two bucks!

Red white and blue dishes will be gathered for American holidays, and then I'll donated then right back rather than store them at home.

I love the idea of having an endless ever changing china closet right around the corner from work.

Isn't that the cheapest thrill ever?

And just think...the money I spend will be going f0r a good cause too!

Changing out my dishes will actually be a way of performing a good deed!

When You Can't Say No But Should

2009-10-21T08:28:00.014-06:00

Cessa is only eleven weeks old...but she is already caught up in television
(Click the green link above to see the movie, and be sure to have your sound turned on. I can't get the embed movie feature to work...drat!)

"Yes...this show is interesting. "

"What's a headache?"

"Oh...lipstick kisses! I get those on my head all the time from my Grandmama!"

"Scrubs! We LOVE watching Scrubs!"

"What do you mean that is enough television watching for one day?"

"Have you forgotten that I am a PRINCESSA?"

"Princessas get to do what ever they want. I was a 50 money dollar kitten. Hensley was only a ten money dollar kitten. He doesn't get to do whatever he wants like I do."

"You are being mean!"

"I don't think watching TV up close hurts my vision. What are you talking about? I can see just fine!""

"I'm going to eat my mermaid if you don't let me watch television!"

"I'll start with her tail...you had better turn that television back on or it is going to be bye bye mermaid!"

"How can you say no to me? I'm so cute!"

"Please?"

"I've been very good all day long...."

"OK, well all right then. Tickle my tummy and go get me some jingle balls and swishy sticks to play with instead."